Abstract Background: This study sought to determine patient characteristics, process of care, and outcome as predictors of reintubation after open-heart surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective case control study that included all patients undergoing cardiac surgery who required reintubation and an equal number of control patients not requiring reintubation. Putative risk factors were an...

Intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation (IABP) has been shown to prolong life in critically ill cardiac patients. However, complications including distal emboli, balloon rupture, bleeding, limb loss, and bowel ischemia continue to be associated with them. We present a case of a 56-year-old male who suffered bowel ischemia as a result of a malpositioned IABP. While the benefit of such devices...

This study was undertaken to determine if the production of pulsatile flow by the intra-aortic balloon pump during cardiopulmonary bypass has any beneficial effect on coronary flow, regional myocardial flow, myocardial metabolism, and left ventricular function. Thirty-six conditioned dogs were subjected to one hour of total normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. They were divided into the followi...

INTRODUCTION The Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) is frequently used to mechanically support the heart. There is evidence that IABP improves microvascular flow during cardiogenic shock but its influence on the human microcirculation in patients deemed ready for discontinuing IABP support has not yet been studied. Therefore we used sidestream dark field imaging (SDF) to test our hypothesis that ...

BACKGROUND The use of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) as a support device remains controversial due to the fact that a number of studies have shown no benefit in end mortality whilst using this device. One of the reasons for this could be the increase in vascular complications when using the pump. Therefore, the aim of the present review was to assess the current literature available with ...

PURPOSE The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a temporary, but prolonged circulatory support for cardiopulmonary failure. Clinical evidence suggests that pulsed flow is healthier than non pulsatile perfusion. The aim of this study was to computationally evaluate the effects of total and partial ECMO assistance and pulsed flow on hemodynamics in a patient-specific aorta model. METH...

Results We were successful in deploying a 26 mm Edwards Sapien XT through trans-aortic approach after two failed attempt due to rupture of the balloon during valvuloplasty. The patient also had an off pump coronary artery bypass grafting to the right coronary artery. The patient was discharged home after a week. Discussion/Conclusion TAVR balloon rupture is an uncommon complication; it could re...

Cardiogenic shock remains a challenging disease entity and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) can be implemented in an acute setting to stabilize acutely ill patients with cardiomyopathy in a variety of clinical situations. Currently, several options exist for temporary MCS. We review the indications, contraindications, clinica...

Background In off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery, the most critical complication is hemodynamic deterioration, which can occur during displacement of the heart to expose the target vessels. Pre-operative intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy has shown to improve cardiac performance and facilitates access to the target coronary artery while maintaining hemodynamic stability, espe...